Adjacent
by asebi
Summary: His friends didn't understand. The seat next to him was special. Silver Pair.


Disclaimer: Not mines. 'nuff said.

Happy Valentine's Day! and Happy Birthday Ootori Choutarou!

**

* * *

~0x0x0~**

They met on the bus everyday without fail. The seat next to him was always reserved for one person and one person only. They had an agreement. It had to be _that_ bus and none other.

Once again he waited. Not unlike any other day he waited. The conversations around him just pass him by. Bored, to say the least. Maybe Jirou had something going there, falling asleep all the time like that. But he needed to make sure no one tried to sit next to him.

"Yo, Shishido, stop daydreaming!" A voice belonging to one of the new friends he made in high school called to him.

"What?" Shishido sounded exasperated. Really though, he just wanted the bus to hurry up and just get _there _already.

"We asked if you wanted to join us." The guys were great. Really, they were, but not whom he wanted to see right now…or hear.

"No." Couldn't they see that he didn't want to be bothered right now?

"You always get so tense when we get on this bus. What's with you?" They couldn't possibly understand.

"Nothing." He didn't want to talk about it. "What are you planning?" Shishido decided the earlier topic would probably be safer.

"You weren't listening were you?" Another one asked him.

"I was. It's just that none of it really registered."

One of the guys snorted. "Bet it's a girl. Too busy thinking about her to pay attention to us guys now huh?"

"Yeah, 'cause you're all such great catches." He snickered. "So what?" he asked again.

They didn't answer at first. The bus just pulled up to a stop, _their_ stop. This was where they got off at to transfer to the rail, but none of them got off. They waited for the foot traffic to die down first as people pushed to get off.

The group of boys sat in the back of the bus, right behind of the back door. There were four of them. Shishido made five. Two sat in front, two in back, with Shishido sitting alone in the middle sandwiched between them. A lady at least ten years his senior paused by the seat Shishido guarded, obviously hoping to sit down, but he pretended not to notice.

The next stop would be Hyoutei.

With a lurch, the bus started moving again and the woman took another seat. Shishido had to roll his eyes. What kind of woman would willingly throw herself into the middle of a group of high school boys?

"So what?" he repeated for the third time. Really, he should have dropped it. "And why didn't you get off?"

"Yeah, so like we were saying, we were planning on going to those new indoor tennis courts that just opened near here. It'll only be a couple more stops."

What a coincidence.

The bus pulled up to the next stop. Passengers scramble to get off and a line outside eagerly waits to board.

That was precisely where Shishido was headed. With the tall, silver haired boy who just got on.

**~0x0x0~**

The bus was a little more crowded than usual, the reason most likely being the group of rowdy boys in the back. In the middle of which, Choutaro readily saw, was one brown haired, bad tempered boy. One Choutaro knew really well. Not sure whether he should approach them or not, Choutaro made to sit next to a man wearing a business suit near the front. A chilling glare from the direction of his former doubles partner stopped him. Unsure of whether it were a good idea or not, he hesitantly made for the rear. Pausing only briefly near Shishido, the silver haired boy gave an anxious glance before Shishido, to the surprise of all his peers, scooted over. Even though Shishido-san had allowed Choutaro to take the seat next to him, it was still nerve-racking. The conversation continued as if there wasn't a sixth pair of ears there listening.

**~0x0x0~**

"So you coming or what?" The conversation continued without a hitch once the silver haired boy sat down. Why Shishido would scoot over for this boy and not that other lady was beyond him or any of the others in the group. The boy looked like he regretted doing so, as did Shishido.

The bus was off again, pitching everyone backwards (and the few facing backwards, forward). Nakashima nearly fell over onto the Silver, and would have more likely than not ended on the kid's lap had Shishido not suddenly leapt forward and pushed him back.

"Don't you know better than to fool around on the bus?" Shishido sounded annoyed. He shot an apologetic glance at the Silver before settling back down in his seat. "And no, I'm not going." He said, still irritated.

"Ha. It's gotta be a date. It's why he _so_ discreetly changed the topic earlier." Nakashima sniggered.

Again, Shishido shot a glance at the kid before answering oh-so-charmingly, "Shut up."

Obviously this wasn't a topic he wanted to talk about. "Bet it's that girl in Class C. Saw you guys talking the other day."

"Or it could be that Aisaka. She's been eyeing him lately."

"Must be nice being so popular, eh, Shishido?"

"_Te_—" The Silver stood up abruptly cutting off, and effectively stunning, Shishido. He shoved his way over to the door. The second the bus stopped and the door opened, he was gone.

Shishido gaped after the boy before turning shooting them all a dark look. He never looked moodier.

**~0x0x0~**

Choutaro ran. He shouldn't have. Shishido-san surely wouldn't be happy. But he couldn't stomach the topic. He had to make it up to him somehow.

**~0x0x0~**

In the end, Shishido ended up at the stupid courts with those idiotic friends of his. He'd much rather be somewhere else. Like with Choutaro. He knew he shouldn't have had Choutaro sit next to him. He should have let him sit next to that old guy up front. At least then, he would have been able to sneak away. He leaned against the wall, scowl in place. The others were in various states of tiredness around his feet.

"You never answered yet. Who's the lucky girl?" Nakashima asked.

"Drop it. We'll know soon enough anyway. Next week to be exact."

"What's next week?" the least aware of the group asked.

"Valentine's Day, Satou! Don't tell me you forgot!"

Valentine's Day. Great. Brilliant. Fantastic. Only one of the most important days of the year for Choutaro and Shishido wasn't even sure if the boy was still talking to him.

**~0x0x0~**

He didn't show. Maybe he should have anticipated it seeing as how agitated he was when he stormed off the other day. He probably didn't want a repeat. Shishido couldn't blame him. Sometimes _he_ wanted to storm off on his friends too. But somehow, he doubted that was the sole reason behind it.

**~0x0x0~VALENTINE'S DAY~0x0x0~**

A great murmur passed through half the population (the female half) of the usually pretty uneventful high school. Apparently there was a young looking guy waiting by the gate. The Group of Five (minus Shishido since he was currently getting cornered by some lucky girl, so really, it's just four) was quickly approaching said gate. And stopped when they saw the figure.

"Hey Satou, isn't that the Silver?" Nakashima nudged the boy next to him.

"L-look's like."

"Wonder what he wants?" Someone interjected.

"Yo, Silver! Remember us?" Nakashima shouted.

The tensing of the kid's shoulders told them he did.

"Need something?" Nakashima continued.

"N-no. I'm fine." The kid looked a little stiff. They never really realized how tall he was.

"How tall are you?"

"Pardon?"

"You're really tall, aren't you? Still in middle school too, huh?"

"Err…"

"From Hyoutei, I take it."

"I…"

"Look, Shishido's coming. Ha, finally got away did he?"

_Sure enough, Shishido-san walked towards them._

Sure enough, the drama queen himself made his way over, looking none too happy, if that scowl was anything to go by. Which really it wasn't since he kept it on perpetually.

"You guys did that on purpose, didn't you?" he said gloomily as he approached.

"Shi-Shishido-san." The Silver spoke.

"Choutaro." Shishido answered in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I…this…this is for you…" the Silver stuck out his hand. In it was a small wrapped package. The kind girls gave for Valentine's Day. His face had turned a brilliant shade of red.

Shishido's face was a matching red. He eyed the package before hesitantly reaching out to take it, like he couldn't quite believe it.

"It's_ your_ birthday, Choutaro. Why are you giving _me_ chocolate…again?"

Well that explains why he always turns those girls down.

**~0x0x0~**

Shishido-san didn't look that angry, although he did call him an idiot for giving it to him with so many people around. They didn't go on a romantic date afterwards, nor did they end up cuddling in Shishido-san's room, which is where they ended up going. They didn't need any of that. Just being together was enough for them, whether it be sitting in one of their rooms or next to each other on the bus. Time they had together seemed precious little, but cherish it they did. They didn't do much, but having Shishido-san lean so close to him as they read in silence may just have made this his second best birthday. The best would always be the one a year ago when Choutaro first gave his sempai chocolate.

"Remind me again who planted this stupid idea in your head."

"_Ano_…I asked Oshita—"

"That bastard."

**~0x0x0~O.W.A.R.I~0x0x0~**


End file.
